It was a warm night in Santa Ana, but it was even warmer inside of The Observatory as She Wants Revenge took the stage (maybe for the last time ever) in Orange County. Though temperatures were passing the 100-degree mark during the day, it didn't stop fans from donning their dark colored threads to say farewell (hopefully just temporarily) to this synth-pop duo. Yep- if you missed this show, you might not ever get to see them again since the band announced back on September 1 that they were going on an indefinite hiatus. A lot of bands seem to be doing this- maybe it's better to leave on a high note? Regardless, boo.

As a fan, it was fitting that the last time I would see the band would be at The Observatory since the first time I saw them was in the same venue almost seven years ago when it was The Galaxy. It was like a walk down memory lane, especially since a lot of the fans I shared space with at the front of the stage were there again- this time we were a little older, but our fondness obviously never diminished for the musical group.

Openers theSTART got the crowd dancing from the moment they started (no pun intended). It was great that the band had a lot of their own fans in the audience as people (like me) were singing along to their songs (and loudly). The rest of the audience was sharing in on our enthusiasm and by the time the band hit their single "Shakedown," it was like a small roar in this hot sea of bodies. It felt like a human sauna, but it didn't stop patrons from getting down in their long sleeve garments that were probably soaked with sweat. I missed openers The Child, but I heard they put on a damn great set, too.

Ryan Cox / OC Weekly

theSTART

If this was indeed a farewell to She Wants Revenge, they put on a show that will be hard to forget. Starting at around 10:45 p.m. and ending around 12:30 a.m., it was jam packed with nothing but music. Though the chitchat was minimal in between songs, the words spoken by members Adam Bravin and Justin Warfield were of memories and reasons for the creating such numbers. It was like watching a live version of Behind the Music and we were about to experience the finale in person.

The band ended the night on a high note by performing their first single "Tear You Apart." At this point, the cheering and singing was almost deafening and the performers took advantage of the accompanied vocals to pause and let the audience finish verses of the song. It's one of those performances that gave you goose bumps and you'll always remember it when you hear the song again on the radio or on one of your many Spotify playlists. If this was indeed my last time seeing the band, I'm totally content. It just solidified my love for the them as well as gave me hope that their departure will only be temporary.

Personal Bias: I've seen theSTART between 40-50 times. They were definitely the real reason I was here. This was the first time the band has played in almost two years and it too might have been one of the lasts for a long time to come. [Insert sad face.]

Overheard in the Crowd: "Wow, that dude dances sexy." - Bystander to HIS girlfriend while watching J. Warfield perform.

Random Notebook Dump: A kid jumped on stage to try and take a picture with singer Justin Warfield in the middle of a song only to have the singer throw the phone (or camera) to the side and security tackle him. Warfield didn't flinch or skip a note- it was truly awesome.